1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method, apparatus, and product for optimizing manufacturing tests by integrating part and test objects in the same order configuration application.
2. Description of the Related Art
When products are “built to customer order”, there is often substantial variability in the products being produced, even within different configurations of a single product. A product can be configured in many different ways. For example, a customer could choose to order a standard product. Alternately, the customer could select a product and customize it by selecting the parts that the customer is interested in having included in the customer's particular customized configuration of the product. These parts, also called options, could include different memory types/sizes/speeds, different storage devices, different processors, etc. Thus, a first customer might configure their product to include one set of parts, while a second customer might configure their product to include a second set of different parts.
Order configuration software applications, referred to sometimes as configurators, exist which permit a customer to select the parts that the customer wants to have included in the customer's customized product. This customized product is also referred to as the order configuration of the product. Once a customer has completed customizing the product using the order configuration software application, the application can be used to generate order information output that is provided to fulfillment and manufacturing to assist in the manufacturing process.
FIG. 1 is a high level flow chart that depicts permitting a user to configure a customized product using a configuration software application that outputs order information in accordance with the prior art. The order information is supplied to the fulfillment and manufacturing systems for manufacturing the customized product. The process starts as illustrated by block 100, and thereafter passes to block 102 which depicts permitting a user to configure a customized product using a configuration software application. The application includes a part object for each part. Typically, a user is permitted to select a product, and the parts the user wants to include in the product, via an entry screen that is displayed by the configuration software application.
Thereafter, block 104 illustrates receiving a user selection of a part to be included in the customized product. The process then passes to block 106 which depicts using configuration rules to identify only those additional parts that can now be selected. Only those identified parts are displayed. For example, the selection of a particular part, might preclude other parts from being included in the customized product.
The process then passes to block 108 which illustrates a determination of whether or not the user has finished configuring the product. If a determination is made that the user has not finished configuring the product, the process passes back to block 104 to permit the user to select additional parts. If a determination is made that the user has finished configuring the product, the process passes to block 110 which depicts using the part objects for the selected parts to generate an output from the application. The output includes order information. Next, block 112 illustrates supplying the order information to fulfillment and manufacturing systems for manufacturing the customized product. The process then terminates as depicted by block 114.
Once a product is manufactured, that product should be tested. According to the prior art, in order to test a product, a suite of tests is run on the product. This suite of tests includes all tests that would be needed to adequately test all of the parts that can be selected for a product. This suite of tests is run on all customized products regardless of which parts are actually included in each customized product.
For complex products, the suite of tests is a very large set of tests. Running the complete suite of tests on all manufactured customized products is both expensive and time consuming. In fact, not all of the tests may be equally important for all different types of product configurations. There are numerous variations of configurations for large systems like enterprise servers, communication switches, base station equipment, etc.
FIG. 2 is a high level flow chart that depicts testing each manufactured product using a complete suite of tests regardless of which parts are actually included in the customized product in accordance with the prior art. The process starts as illustrated by block 200, and thereafter passes to block 202 which depicts creating a suite of tests to use to test all parts and configuration of parts for this product. The suite of tests tests every part that might be included in the customized product. Next, block 204 illustrates receiving a manufactured customized product. Block 206, then, depicts testing the manufactured customized product using the complete suite of tests, regardless of which parts are actually included in this customized product. The process then terminates as illustrated by block 208.
While the process of testing all products using the complete suite of tests adequately tests the products, in many cases, not all of the tests need to be run. Running all of the tests for every customized product, regardless of whether all of the tests are necessary, is very time consuming and ties up valuable resources.